Indicator.



W. H. DE FORD.

INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED IAII. II. I9I5.

Pa tented Oct. 17,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J mi.

m: NORRIS PETERS ca, PHOTO-LUNG" WASHING WM. 0. c.

W. H. DE FORD.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. m5.

1,201,943. I Patnted Oct. 17,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- m: nouns PETERS can Fuomumo. wAsmNr; raw, n cy i TES PA T FF E- WILLIAM H. DI] FORD, OF MICHIGAN VALLEY, KANSAS.

INDICATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DE Form, a citizen of the United States, residing at Michigan Valley, in the county of Osage and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to indicators, and more particularly to that type of'indicators especially designed for use in railway cars toindicate streets and stations.

The inventionhas for its principal object to provide a novel and efiicient indicator and'an automatic operating means-therefor. 7

Another object is the provision of an indicator embodying a pair of spring actuated spools, on which the indicator cloth is wound and means for controlling the movement of the cloth. 1

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafter specifically described, claimed. and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: 1

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the indicator. Fig. 2 represents a fragmental rear elevation thereof. Fig.3 represents a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a fragmental front elevation of a railway car and track, illustrating the operating means for the indicator. Fig. 7 represents a fragmented front elevation of a car illustrating the operating means for the indicator associated with the trolley wire supports of an electric railway. Fig. 8 represents an enlarged sectional view, partly broken away, on the line 8-8 of Fig.5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 10 indicates the casing of the indicator, the front wall of whichis provided adjacent the top and bottom with semi-cylindrical enlargements 11 in which are rotatably mounted shafts 12. Spools 13 are rotatably mounted upon the shafts 12 and a pair of spaced strips 14 are secured at oppo-' site ends to the spools 13. A plurality of Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Applieation filed January 11, 1915. Serial No. 1,655.

adapted to be successively moved behind a glass covered opening 16 in the front of the casing 10 so as to be visible to the occupants of the car.

Spring casings 16are secured at the ends of the semicylindrical enlargements 11 and receive the extremities of the upper and lower shafts 12. A shell 17 is secured to one end of each shaft 12 and rotatably receives the inner extremity of a crank shaft 18 having a crank 19 on its outer end. A coil spring 20 is secured at opposite extremities to the shell-17 and the crank shaft 18. A ratchet wheel 21. is secured to the crank shaft 18 intermediate the outer wall of the casing 16 and the spring 20 and co- The end of each shaft 12 opposite itsactuating spring 20 slidably receives a relatively non-rotatable clutch member 23 having teeth at its opposite ends adapted to alternatively engage teeth 24 on the adjacent end of the spool 13 and teeth formed in the adjacent portion of the casing 10, whereby the shaft 12 may be locked for rotation with the spool 13 f. or locked against rotation within the casing 10, when desired. The clutch member-23 is formed centrally with a circumferential channel receiving the diametrically opposed pins carried by the bifurcated inner extremity of a bell crank 25, one end 26 of which projects laterally through an aperture in the side wall of the casing 10, whereby theclutch member may be conveniently actuated. i A plurality of laterally projecting lugs or projections 28 are secured to one of the flexible strips 14 and are adapted to be engaged by the rod 29 to stop the movement of "the strips 14 under the influence of either of the springs 20 located-inthe spring casings 16. The inner end of the rod 29 is slidably mounted through an opening 29 in one of tremity ofthe shaft32 and provides a hous ing for a sprin 34 normally tending to rotate the shaft A- suitatfle crank 35 is secured in the front wall of the casing 33,

whereby the actuating spring 34 for" the shaft 32 may be wound up. The tension off the spring 34"no'rnially tends to rotate the 'wheel 30 in the direction of the arrowin Fig. 2 at a greater speed than that which the spools 13'are driven by the springs and the wheel 30 is limited in its rotational move-v ment by the locking member .37 pivotally secured between a pair of arms 38 secured to the rear faceottheplate' 31 and extending behind the wheel 30. The locking member 3'7 isof angular formation and one end.

thereof isprovided with a forwardly projecting tooth 39 adapted to engage behind the pivoted end ofthe' rod 29 to stop the lat ter, together withthe wheel 30. The locking member 37 is disengagedfrom the rod 29 by a spring 40 projecting laterally from a slide rod 41 slidably supported behind the plate 31 and normally; retained in inwardly extended position by. thetension of a spring 42, adapted to engage the end of said memher opposite the tooth 39. a

The slide rod 41 isoperably? connected with-onecrank=armof a shaft 44 rotatably V of the tracl'n.

In-.ope-ration,-the spring 20 in one ofthe casings 16 is' woundup and theclutchmember23 associated with'the other shaft12 is moved so as to lock said shaft against rota tion" Within the casing 10; and-permit the spool 13 thereon to freelyrotate.

shaft 12 operatedby the, lower spring is looked againstrotation thefupper shaft 12 and'spools 13' associated therewith are'rotated until one of the lugs or projections 28 on the strip 14is engaged with the inner end of'the' rod 29; as-illustrated in: Fig; '2,

and themo ement of the indicator is thus stopped. It will be'understoodthat the trip devices47 and 52 are arranged atp oints slightly inadvance of the stops to be made by the car and whentheimembers-46 and 51 engages the trip devices the slide. rod 41 is inovedilongitudinally" outwardlyofthe pl ate Presum mg that the upper springis' wound and the 31. During the outward movement of the rod 41 the spring 40 is flexed by and passes the rear end of the locking member 37, the tooth 39 of which latter bears against the wheel 30. When the members 51 and 46 pass 7 the trip members 52 and 47 respectively, the slide rod 41 is automatically returned to initial position bythe tension of the spring 42, the spring 40 engaging the rear extremity of the locking member 37, rocking the latter upon its pivotal axis-and swinging the tooth39-out of the path of the adjacent extremityof'the rod 29 thus permitting. the wheel 30 to rotate under the influence of the spring 34. The rod 29 being pivotally securede'ccentrically of the wheel 30. ismoved a distanceoutwardly'and the inner extremity thereof is disengaged from the projection or lug 28, thus permitting the strips 14 and sections '15 to move a distance upwardly under the, influence of the spring 20 in the upper casingld Asthe wheel30 rotates at a greater speed-than the spools 13, it is evident that only one lug 28 will pass before the rod29 is again moved inwardly toits initial operative position. When the wheel130 completes one revolution the rod 29 is again moved to the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 ;and the tooth 39 of the locking member .36 engages and locks the rod 29 against a subsequent operation. During-the travel of the car 45 either or both "of the members 46' and 51. are operated by the trolley or track-carried switch members 47 and'52 respective-ly and thesections 15 are successively moved into view behind the transparent section 16.. I a VhatI claim is:

' An indicator comprising a casing, spools rotatably mounted in the upper and lower portions of said casing, an indicator strip secured. at opposite ends to said spools, springs connected withsaid spools for rotating the latter' to wind saidindicator strip thereon, means for disconnecting said springs from said spools, a plurality of projections carried by said indicator strip, a rodslidably mounted through said casing adapted to engage said projections to limit the movementof saidstrip, spring actuated means normally tending to reciprocate said rod, meansto lock said rod against reciprocation,- a-nd object engaging means associated with said lockingmeans to release said rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

wiL-Lnnvrn; DE FORD.

Witnesses: IF. it

, C. T. MC'DANIEL,

T. MGCLUNE, Jr.

copies fiof fchisl patent beohtai ne d for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner. of Patents.

" p T 7 Washington, D. 0. 

